Lesions in the oral cavity and esophagus caused by prescribed drugs: A review.

Almost all drugs, including some plant-based compounds, can have adverse effects, about 10% of which are expressed at the level of the digestive tract and in some cases resemble gastrointestinal diseases. Most commonly manifest as difficult and/or painful swallowing, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and constipation. In rare cases, lesions caused by medications may be complicated by bleeding, strictures and perforations and can manifest in all segments of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT).

Analysis on the risk factors for organ damage in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a cross-sectional single-center experience.

Background: Organ damage in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) occurs as a consequence of the disease itself, the therapy applied and the accompanying conditions and complications. Organ damage predicts further organ damage and is associated with an increased risk of death.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the degree of irreversible organ changes in SLE patients, using the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology (SLICC/ACR) damage index (SDI); to establish correlations between organ damage and disease activity, quality of life, intensity of fatigue and serological factors; and to ascertain the risk factors for organ damage.

Thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor as an indicator of the severity of acute pancreatitis.

Background/aims: Thrombin Activatable Fibrinolysis Inhibitor (TAFI), in addition to suppressing fibrinolysis, can be involved as a natural anti-inflammatory molecule in the inflammatory process in acute pancreatitis (AP). The goal of this study was to discover the significance of early determination of the values of TAFI in the assessment of the severity of AP.

Materials And Methods: The prospective study included 92 patients with AP.

Clinical connection between rheumatoid arthritis and liver damage.

When liver damage is present in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, it is sometimes difficult to determine whether it is a hepatic manifestation of RA, associated primary liver disease or hepatotoxic liver disease which developed during the treatment of RA. Liver damage during RA is most common in the form of asymptomatic abnormal liver tests. Occasionally, liver damage may progress to cirrhosis.

Irritable bowel syndrome - from etiopathogenesis to therapy.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic and relapsing functional gastrointestinal disorder that affects 9-23% of the population across the world. Patients with IBS are often referred to gastroenterology, undergo various investigations, take various medicines, take time off work and have a poor quality of life. The pathophysiology of IBS is not yet completely understood and seems to be multifactorial.

Creatinine-modified Child-Turcotte-Pugh score is a good predictor of a short-term survival in patients with bleeding from esophageal varices.

Background/aim: Bleeding from esophageal varices is a significant factor in mortality of patients with terminal liver cirrhosis. This complication is a major health problem for recipients on the list for liver transplant. In that regard, studying predictors of variceal bleeding episode is very important.

Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 as a marker of systemic lupus erythematosus: an observational study.

There is a pivotal need for new markers to be tested in every day clinical practice for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and lupus nephritis (LN). The levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) in the serum and urine of 72 SLE patients (27 with LN and 45 without LN involvement) and 30 healthy individuals were studied to establish their clinical significance. The SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) was used to establish the disease activity.

Boerhaave syndrome - case report.

Context:: Boerhaave syndrome consists of spontaneous longitudinal transmural rupture of the esophagus, usually in its distal part. It generally develops during or after persistent vomiting as a consequence of a sudden increase in intraluminal pressure in the esophagus. It is extremely rare in clinical practice.

Hyperparathyroidism as a cause of recurrent acute pancreatitis: A case report.

Introduction: One of the more uncommon etiological factors responsible for the development of acute pancreatitis (AP) is hypercalcemia. Hyperparathyroidism (HPT), as a cause of hypercalcemia, is responsible for 1.5–13% of AP according to a number of studies.

Can probiotics improve efficiency and safety profile of triple Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy? A prospective randomized study.

Background/aim: Some studies suggest the benefit of applying different probiotic strains in combination with antibiotics in the eradication of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of co-administration of multiple probiotic strains with triple H.

Treatment of low-grade gastric MALT lymphoma using Helicobacter pylori eradication.

Background/aim: Lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT lymphoma) of the stomach usually occurs as a consequence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term effect of treatment of low-grade gastric MALT lymphoma with the H.

Could application of epinephrine improve hemostatic efficacy of hemoclips for bleeding peptic ulcers? A prospective randomized study.

Background/aim: Bleeding from peptic ulcers can be effectively and safely treated with endoscopic hemoclips therapy. However, due to certain limiting factors of hemoclips, application of combination with another endoscopic method may give better results. The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy and safety of endoscopic hemoclips therapy and to evaluate potential benefits of this therapy combined with epinephrine in the treatment of bleeding peptic ulcers.

The role of duodenogastric reflux in formation of precarcinogenic gastric lesions--an experimental study.

Introduction: Duodenogastric reflux, commonly encountered as an aftermath of gastroenteroanastomosis, with or without gastric resection (Billroth I, Billroth II), vagotomy and pyloroplastic surgery, is known to cause inflammatory-dystrophic-metaplastic lesions of gastric mucosa. Our objective was to determine the effects of surgery-induced duodenogastric reflux on the development of precarcinogenic lesions or carcinoma in correlation with the reflux duration.

Material And Methods: The experiment was performed on three groups of Wistar rats with 1) Billroth II-induced reflux surgery, 2) resection of the Rouxr-en-Y type reconstruction, and 3) control group with no resection.

Rapunzel syndrome.

Introduction: Trichobezoars are foreign bodies in gastrointestinal tract, composed of hair. They occur mainly in children and adolescents suffering from trichotillophagia. They commonly occur in the stomach, but as they enlarge over time, they can extend through the pylorus into distal parts of the small intestine resembling a tail.

[The role and importance of biochemical markers in diagnosis of alcoholic acute pancreatitis].

Introduction: Alcoholic acute pancreatitis occurs in 10% of alcoholics, who take more than 80 g alcohol daily. Different biochemical markers are used to diagnose acute pancreatitis, and some of them may help in establishing etiology of acute pancreatitis.

Material And Methods: This study is a prospective review of 21 patients.

[Synchronous colorectal adenomas].

Introduction: Colorectal adenomas which are discovered simultaneously or 6 months after the diagnosis of primary adenoma or colorectal cancer (CRC) are called synchronous adenomas. The presence of synchronous adenomas increases the probability of adenomas with severe dysplasia as well as CRC.

Objective: The aim of the study is to show the characteristics of synchronous colorectal adenomas and to present the relation between the index rectal adenoma and the proximal synchronous tumours.

Characteristics of chronic hepatitis C among intravenous drug users: a comparative analysis.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) usually evades the host's immune system and persists as a chronic infection. Intravenous drug users (IVDU) represent the majority of patients infected with HCV. Combined therapy of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) with peginterferon alpha-2a and ribavirin can be successful even when patients continue the intravenous drug use.

[Role of mucinohistochemical analysis in verification of malignant potential of colorectal adenoma].

Background/aim: It is a general opinion that the biggest number of colorectal carcinoma (CRC) develops with the malignant alteration of colorectal adenomas (adenoma carcinoma sequence). Malignant potential of adenoma is in the function of its size, histological structure and the grade of dysplasia. An adequate analysis of colorectal adenomas helps their definition and timely removal, which significantly decreases carcinoma incidence.

An immunohistochemical study of Ki-67 in colorectal adenoma.

Introduction: The expression of the human Ki-67 protein is strictly associated with cell proliferation. The cell proliferation and kinetics of normal gastrointestinal tract are well known but the cell kinetics of adenoma in gastrointestinal tract is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to provide an immunohistochemical evaluation of the expression of Ki-67 antigen in different colorectal adenomas.